Jennifer Lawrence returns to theaters as "the girl on fire." Lionsgate The summer box office may have had one of its worst years financially, with hits few and far between, but thankfully, the fall looks to be a bit more promising.

In addition to some major tentpole releases, there are a slew of Oscar-hopefuls as well as some performance-heavy films including the return of the "girl on fire" Katniss Everdeen and "The Dark Knight" trilogy director Christopher Nolan.

We've sifted through dozens upon dozens of upcoming releases to bring you a definitive list of films you can't miss this fall.

1/

"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby"

Why to see it: The ambitious film chronicling both sides of a broken marriage debuted as two separate features (one told from the man's point of view, the other from the woman's) at the Toronto Film Festival last fall before The Weinstein Company picked it up and altered its structure. The film opening in September is the cut that debuted at Caanes, "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them," a streamlined, two-hour version of the three hours that make up the individual features.

The uncut individual films "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him" and "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her" open in limited release Oct. 10. Release strategy aside, the film has garnered its fair share of positive feedback and boasts an epic cast featuring Jessica Chastain, William Hurt, Bill Hader, Viola Davis, and James McAvoy.

"The Skeleton Twins"

Why to see it: SNL alumsBill Hader and Kristen Wiig star as siblings in this offbeat dramedy, and if early buzz is any indication, the film may wind up on quite a few "best of" lists by the end of the year. The film debuted at Sundance to rave reviews, many of which cited Hader's and Wiig's performances as its greatest asset.

"The Equalizer"

Why to see it: It's been over a year since Denzel Washington's most recent appearance on screen ("2 Guns"), which is a shame considering the man tends to elevate the material no matter how generic the idea may seem on paper; the man made a movie about a runaway train exciting. "The Equalizer" sounds like a perfect Denzel vehicle, ripe for butt-kicking and name-taking, as he must "come out of retirement" to rescue Chloe Grace Moretz from Russian gangsters. Another reason to tune in? Denzel reunites with "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua for the first time since making the award-winning film.

"Gone Girl"

Why to see it: Anticipation for David Fincher's latest film could not be higher. The thriller, based on the New York Times bestseller by Gillian Flynn, centers around a man (Ben Affleck) and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his wife on their fifth wedding anniversary, and it is already amassing tons of Oscar buzz. The movie is scheduled to debut at the New York Film Festival later this month. Fincher opened the festival in 2010 with "The Social Network" and went on to win three Oscars.

"Whiplash"

Why to see it: The film follows a young musician (Miles Teller) as he trains under his teacher (J.K. Simmons) to do whatever it takes to become a top jazz drummer. The wildly talented Simmons is certainly used to praise, and early reviews from Sundance indicate that "Whiplash" features the " role of his career."Teller blew audiences away in " The Spectacular Now," and it's refreshing to see him in another meaty role following a string of juvenile romantic comedies.

"Kill The Messenger"

Why to see it: Based on the true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb, "Kill The Messenger" traces the story of how Webb became the target of a vicious smear campaign after exposing the CIA's role in arming Contra rebels and importing cocaine into the U.S. The film is produced by and stars Jeremy Renner in his first role since his Oscar-nominated turn in "American Hustle" and features an incredible supporting cast that includes the likes of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michael Sheen, and Ray Liotta.

"The Judge"

Warner Bros.

Release Date: Oct. 10

Why to see it: The film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall debuts is the opening-night feature at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which inspires a level of confidence usually reserved for filmmakers whose previous credits don't include films like "Wedding Crashers" or "Fred Claus." Director David Dobkin's foray into crowdpleaser territory follows a big-city lawyer (Downey, Jr.) as he must return to his hometown and defend his father (Duvall), a judge himself, who is suspected of murder.

"Fury"

Why to see it: The latest from David Ayer ("End of Watch," "Harsh Times") sees the director getting out of his comfort zone and working in a different era. "Fury" is set during the last month of World War II in Europe and follows a U.S. army sergeant (Brad Pitt) as he commands a tank with a five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, and Michael Peña co-star in what is sure to be an exciting, brutal, and action-packed film.

"Birdman"

Why to see it: The latest from acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu (" Babel," " 21 Grams") stars Michael Keaton as a once-relevant actor known for playing a superhero who must overcome his personal troubles as he prepares to stage a Broadway play to reclaim his glory. The film blew people's minds after debuting at Telluride in late August and has been dubbed " heaven for cinephiles" as it allegedly skewers and pays homage to filmmaking itself.

The meta-dramedy features a long list of A-listers including Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Zach Galifianakis. The role is perfect for Keaton, as he portrayed Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 " Batman" and can easily relate to the character.

"St. Vincent"

Why to see it: Two words — Bill Murray. The comedy stars Murray as a drunken, gambling, retiree who forms a friendship with a 12-year-old child after his neighbor (Melissa McCarthy) asks him to take care of the boy while she works long hours. The plot description may leave a lot to be desired, but "Garfield" aside, Murray tends to choose interesting scripts, and with the film debuting at Toronto International Film Festival in September, The Weinstein Company seems to really believe in the film.

"Nightcrawler"

Why to see it: Jake Gyllenhaal lost 30 pounds to take on the role of Lou Bloom, a sleazy freelance writer who stumbles upon the underground world of Los Angeles crime journalism. It's always fun to watch an actor lose himself in a role, and Gyllenhaal appears to have done just that. The film, which co-stars Rene Russo and Bill Paxton, debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September.

"Rosewater"

Laith Al-Majali/Open Road Films

Release Date: Nov. 7

Why to see it: Jon Stewart took three months off hosting "The Daily Show" show to helm "Rosewater," a film based on the real-world events surrounding journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained and brutally interrogated in Iran for over 100 days. After appearing on Stewart's comedy series, the real-life Bahari was arrested for engaging in "media espionage," as his captors didn't seem to understand the inherent satire and comedy associated with the program. The film debuted to mixed reviews at Telluride, but general audiences will have to wait until November to decide for themselves.

"Interstellar"

Why see it: We don't know much about Christopher Nolan's space epic, and that's one reason we're so excited to see the director's long-awaited follow-up to "The Dark Knight" trilogy. Matthew McConaughey hopes to continue the McConnaisance as he gets blasted into space alongside Anne Hathaway to embark on a voyage to save mankind.

Sure, we saw "Gravity" send Sandra Bullock into space in an Oscar-winning performance last year, but "Interstellar" has been in the works since 2006, and Nolan hasn't disappointed us yet ("Memento," "Inception").

"Foxcatcher"

Why see it: Every single one of director Bennett Miller's ("Moneyball," " Capote") films has been nominated for multiple Oscars, and "Foxcatcher" is poised to continue his impressive streak. Based on the true life of Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), the movie follows the athlete as he teams up with the eccentric millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell) to train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. After a lengthy delay, the film debuted at Cannes to tons of praise last May.

"The Imitation Game"

Why to see it: Fresh off his Emmy win,Benedict Cumberbatch ("Sherlock") stars as Alan Turing, the English mathematician responsible for cracking the Enigma code during World War II. The script was featured on 2011's Black List, a yearly compilation of the best unproduced screenplays, so we've been waiting awhile for this one.

Also starring Keira Knightley, the biopic opened to rave reviews at Telluride and is already being considered an Oscar shoo-in. According to Deadline, some have hailed it as " the best script" they have read in years so our expectations are pretty high.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1"

Lionsgate

Release Date:Nov. 21

Why see it: The girl on fire is back yet again, and there are already high hopes for the latest installment of "The Hunger Games." It's definitely the event movie of the fall, as it could produce this year's highest-grossing opening weekend at the box office, a record currently held by the latest "Transformers" movie. The previous film in the series, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," topped $864 million worldwide.

While we can't wait to see the return of Donald Sutherland as Katniss' cold and calculating foe, "Mockingjay — Part I" will introduce Julianne Moore as a power-hungry president of District 13, a place previously thought destroyed. This will also be one of the last roles played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died earlier this year. He completed all his scenes for the first part of the two-film finale.

For the kids: "Big Hero 6"

Why to see it: Loosely based on the comic with the same title, "Big Hero 6" takes place in a fictional metropolis called San Fransokyo (a hybrid of San Francisco and Tokyo) and centers around a young robotics prodigy named Hiro Hamada and his robot Baymax.

The film is Disney's first animated Marvel picture since acquiring the company in 2009; however, Marvel Studio's track record so far is flawless. From the previews we've already seen, the giant white Baymax looks like an adorable plush toy kids will want for the holiday.